First generation CR-V's where one of the last of the great, simple Honda's of the 80's and 90's and are low maintenance and fairly bulletproof. My wife had one when we got married,and I took over driving it for a few years. We sold it to my neighbor at 180,000 miles and it was still going strong. Great car. Simple. Did well in snow. Good interior space. Economical to drive.
Buying one in the $4k price range means that it will be higher mileage and may have some deferred maintenance. If you want to drive it for awhile you will probably need to budget for a few things when you purchase. You might see if they have any records when you purchase. Things to look for:
Spark plugs I think need changed every 30k miles along with a valve adjustment.
Transmission fluid is a similar inteval. If this is an AWD version, there is a rear differential that also needs changed. This often gets neglected.
Most importantly, the timing belt needs changed every 90,000 miles or 7 years. These are not cheap, but it could be catestrophic to neglect doing it as if it breaks it can trash the engine.
Wheel bearings are also a common item that goes on higher mileage version.
Most of the above regarding service will also be true of the Kia, but I would much rather have a $4,000 Honda than a $4,000 Kia.
Good luck.
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